Iris germanica Aubigny Auld Alliance - Tall Bearded Iris

The iris ‘Aubigny Auld Alliance’ is a tall bearded iris that flowers in the second half of spring. Its bicoloured flowers are particularly contrasting, with upright petals in cream and sepals in a near-black violet with a velvety appearance. The lemon‑yellow beards set on a large light‑coloured spot draw the eye into the heart of the flower. Plant this tall bearded iris in a very sunny border, in well‑drained, rather calcareous soil.

This cultivar belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is a rhizomatous perennial. Its rootstock produces roots, fan‑arranged leaves and new lateral shoots that allow the clump to widen. The plant forms an upright clump, composed of sword‑shaped leaves, grey‑green to glaucous, rigid, ribbed, a few centimetres wide and arranged in two ranks. The foliage is semi‑evergreen in winter depending on the climate. Iris × germanica is an ancient hybrid of Iris pallida and I. variegata, probably originating in the north‑west of the Balkan peninsula.

‘Aubigny Auld Alliance’ was registered by Richard Cayeux in 2016 and then introduced to the horticultural market in 2017. It descends from a line in which the irises ‘Initiative’ and ‘Grenade’ feature. The plant reaches about 80 cm in height in flower and spreads at least 40–50 cm. The flower stems rise above the foliage in May–June, depending on the climate; it is a mid‑season to late variety. Each flower shows three upright petals and three trailing sepals. The petals are cream‑white, washed with lime yellow at the base. The sepals are very dark, plum‑purple to blackish‑violet, with a cream centre veined in violet. The beard forms a yellow line with a white tip. The flower is large, wavy and graphic.
The name of this cultivar recalls the Franco‑Scottish Auld Alliance, a historic link that the town of Aubigny‑sur‑Nère maintains with Scotland.

Plant this iris in full sun, in fairly rich soil that dries quickly after rain. Set the rootstock at soil level, because a buried rootstock rots or flowers poorly. Water at planting time, then let the plant live off rainfall, except during prolonged drought. You can associate this variety with Nepeta ‘Purrsian Blue’, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, the chartreuse umbels of Euphorbia characias ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ and the fine panicles of Stipa tenuifolia ‘Pony Tails’. 

The vegetable garden can be enhanced with a few clumps or borders of irises, for it is also the classic place for cut flowers.